Road: Trans Sahara Committee Inspects Roads Within Nigerian Territory

The Trans-Saharan Road Liaison Committee (TRLC) has inspected some of the road projects within the Nigerian territory as part of activities lined up for the 70th session of the committee which took place in Abuja, Nigeria from the 11th -12th of November 2019

 

The Member countries of the TLC are; Niger, Mali, Algeria Chad, Tunisia and Nigeria.

 

Nigeria’s Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN. who conducted his colleagues round the project sites said “it is the tradition of the committee that the host country should take other members on inspection of the road projects under its territory in order to see level of progress and compliance on the routes.”

 

Fashola explained that Nigeria accounts for over 1000 kilometres length out of the over 9000 kilometers roads in the six sub-saharan countries.

 

He further explained that in compliance with the local content executive order, Nigerian companies are given preference over foreign companies in the award of the contracts.

 

Accordingly, the Minister also stated that there were nine highways at different levels of construction that would connect Nigeria with the rest of Africa along the Trans-Sahara routes, pointing out that the ultimate aim was to transform those roads to highways of vehicles and trucks to link them to the ports for ease of doing business.

 

The Minister listed Lagos – Algiers as one of such routes that would connect Nigeria with other parts of Africa, saying that the route cuts across Lagos-Ibadan, Oyo, Ogbomosho, Ilorin, Jebba, Mokwa, Kaduna and Kano leading to the Niger Republic.

 

The team inspected the rehabilitation works of Abuja-Kaduna-Zaria-Kano dual carriageway which is being handled by Julius Berger Nig. Ltd, the 5.4Km Abuja–Keffi expressway and dualisation of Keffi-Akwanga-Lafia-Makurdi road being handled by China Harbour Engineering Company Limited.

 

The delegation from the member countries on the inspection commended Nigerian Government for the local content policy in the construction industry, hoping that such could be replicated in other member countries.

 

Stephen Kilebi

Deputy Director Press.